Defence News
Pakistan expresses worry over planned Air Force base in Gujarat; complains about ‘Cold Start’.
Pakistan has criticised India’s plans to build a new airbase near its border in Gujarat and said it is part of an offensive doctrine that seeks to create space for ‘war’. The plan is fraught with danger and exposes India’s ‘irresponsible behavior’, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal said on Thursday. “The report about Gujrat provides credibility to the fact that India is fast developing the infrastructure and force configurations to operationalize these military doctrines. Subscribing to such offensive doctrines in a nuclearised region exposes irresponsible behaviour,” The News International quoted him as saying. The new Indian Air Force base is set to be built in Deesa in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district. It is near the border and is aimed at improving air superiority capabilities in the sector. The new airbase was announced by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman soon after she took charge of the ministry. The Pakistani reaction is only the latest round of paranoia and knee-jerk reactions over India’s alleged ‘Cold Start’ military doctrine, allegedly developed after the 2001 Parliament attack by Pakistan-based terrorists. This doctrine reportedly allows the security forces to conduct offensive ops at a short notice as part of a unified battle group. It also emphasizes on speed and overwhelming firepower. The aggressive and offensive nature of the alleged doctrine sparked panic in Pakistan. To make matters worse, Indian officials have given the full range of responses when asked about whether it exists. Some have confirmed its existence while others have expressed ignorance and yet others have denied its existence. The Pakistani authorities and the media continue to refer to this alleged doctrine whenever the Indian armed forces build a military infrastructure or launch coordinated operations against terrorists, particularly on the border. The subject also commonly discussed during television debates in Pakistani news channels.
